For Disclaimer See the top of Chapter One for Warnings look in the note section at the top of Chapter one.
Hybrids:
Chapter Two: Reunion
Liam set bolt upright jumping up off the couch he proceeded to the source of the screams. He grabbed the screaming thrashing man on the bed and began to shake him. "Joshua wake up." He was shocked when the other man did just that and grabbed onto him with a death grip.
Joshua began to babble about how much it hurt. Liam was at a loss as to what to do when he suddenly began to feel woozy. Suddenly a bright light flashed around them and Liam found himself experiencing exactly what Joshua was. Liam passed out from the remembered pain after only a few seconds.
Renee Palmer was worried the Resistance and ANA contacts on the mothership had informed her that the Taelons had recovered a large amount of the core energy thought to have been destroyed by Joshua Doors. On top of that she hadn't been able to raise Liam on his global. She had even called the embassy and been informed by Da'an that Liam had informed him last night that a sick friend needed his help and he may be late arriving. After assuring Da'an that everything was all right she ended the call and decided to head over there and find out what was going on.
Liam awoke feeling woozy to hear an incessant beeping from his global after finding it and making sure the bed wasn't in view he answered it. "Major I have been trying to reach you for several minuets." Da'an said calmly.
"Sorry I had forgotten my global this morning." Liam lied finally remember what he had told Da'an. "If you don't mind Da'an I'm extremely tired would it be all right if I didn't come in today?"
Da'an frowned. "Yes Major but keep your global at hand." Da'an cut the connection and Liam reluctantly closed the global and headed over to start a pot of coffee while trying to figure out what had happened.
Da'an turned to glance at his guest. "Why are you here Va'on I assumed you would be helping the volunteers with their investigation of the accident in your lab." He looked at the other Taelon who seemed out of sorts.
"I am convinced they will find no trace of the Jaridian Saboteur." Va'on said coldly. "Zo'or believes it was an accident caused by my experiments however I know better."
Da'an calmly nodded. "I am sure what happened will be revealed in time but that is not why you have come to see me." Da'an looked impassively at his guest. "So why are you really here?"
Liam was shocked when he felt Joshua wake up. He turned and watched the other man walk in the borrowed black boxer briefs hanging looser on his slightly smaller frame. "I can feel you." they both said at once. "It's like the Taelon commonality but different." Liam said remembering what Joyce had said about Joshua being closest to him.
"So it's a hybrid thing." Joshua said in annoyance. "I guess I should get used to it." He sighed as his mind cleared. "I feel better is that a side effect of whatever is going on?"
Liam nodded "Probably." He was about to say more when he heard his global beep. "Kincaid." He said and smiled when he saw it wasn't Da'an or Sandoval. "Renee is something wrong?"
"You tell me." Renee said "I'll be up shortly." with that the connection cut. He turned to see Joshua heading out of the room in a hurry.
"Your going to have to face her sooner or later Joshua." Liam called after him and was surprised when Joshua stopped. "Come on it won't be so bad." Joshua reluctantly rejoined him in the kitchen.
Neither said anything and Liam felt the panic from Joshua when they heard the knock at the door. "Relax." Liam said as he headed to open the door. 'Great now he's making me nervous.' He thought as he felt the other man's agitation jump in response to his departure.
Renee stormed past him as he opened the door. "You didn't answer your global and didn't think it was important to inform me that the Taelons had recovered their core energy." She suddenly stared at Liam. "Why are you so jumpy?"
Liam finally realized he was jumping from foot to foot and managed to calm himself. "It's a long story it has to do with my guest." Turning from her shocked look. "Come on out here."
Renee was about to yell at him for letting her go on like that when someone she never thought she'd see again walked slowly and nervously out of the kitchen. "Hello Renee." Joshua said and he was shocked and relieved when Renee hugged him enthusiastically.
Liam felt the panic the other man was feeling fade away then suddenly come back when Renee asked him why his eyes were blue. "I can answer that one Renee Zo'or had him experimented on Joyce and I got him out last night."
Liam then began the rather hard task of telling Renee an edited version of what happened leaving out some of the details. He was surprised when he felt relief from Joshua when he neglected to inform Renee of all the changes that had taken place in the other man.
"Joshua we need to let someone check you out see if it can be reversed." Renee said pulling out her global. "I'll arrange to have you taken to a Doors medical facility."
Liam shook his head. "No I'll take him to Dr. Belman she's the expert on these things and can tell if anything they've done has damaged him." Liam watched Renee close the global and hug Joshua again saying how glad she was that he was back.
"Renee could you do me a favor and go buy me some clothes." Joshua asked a bit reluctantly. Renee nodded realizing she couldn't touch Joshua's things which were still in storage without someone finding out he was still alive.
Renee smiled "Sure what size are you?" she laughed at his bland expression as he told her. "I'll bring them by when I'm done and then Liam can take you to see Dr. Belman while I find you a place to stay that should be safe."
Joshua nodded though wondering at the slight flash of tension at the thought of being away from Liam. 'It's just the effects of that hybrid thing it'll fade when we are father apart.' He then caught an impression of a similar flash and resolution in Liam. He turned to face the other man and asked a question that was bugging him. "What about a new identity won't I need one?"
Liam nodded "Renee why not arrange the safe house threw Street and she can create Joshua a new id while your doing that?" Renee nodded it made sense esp since the ANA might be tempted to turn Joshua into a labrat if she went threw their channels.
Renee left after a few more details were worked out. 'Joshua seems allot calmer than I would expect.' She thought curiously. 'Given how insecure he's always been deep down about having his father's approval I'd think something like this would push him close to or over the edge.' She made a note to keep tabs on him sure she was glad he was back but she knew Zo'or wouldn't hesitate to plan something like this.
"Thank you for not telling her." Joshua said. "I don't know if she could handle knowing I'm part Taelon." Joshua looked away feeling some of the self loathing from the night before coming back.
Liam reached out and put his arm around the other man's shoulders. "She can take it but it's up to you to tell her I can understand you being reluctant I would have never told her about me if it hadn't been necessary." He shook his head at the uncomfortable memories.
Joshua seemed to pick up on his discomfort and placed his arm reassuringly on the otherman's shoulders returning the offer of comfort. Liam eventually stood up and said something about taking a shower and getting ready before Renee came back. "Help yourself to Coffee." He said as he closed the door to the small bathroom.
Liam relaxed as the hot spray hit him. He was trying to figure things out he felt something akin to a jolt. 'Joshua has started drinking the coffee I must have made it to strong this morning.' He scowled and wondered about this link again. 'What could have caused it and what is it.' His mind flashed to the things Joyce had said about the Kimera.
"The Kimera were both physical and energy while they shared bonds among friends and family they didn't depend totally on the bond nor did they depend totally on physical existence." She had said he had forgotten how easy it was to replay images with his Kimera abilities.
'Is that what happened she said he was the closest to me could my mind accept him as another Kimera hybrid.' He frowned. 'If so what caused the link to form oh wait the nightmare I wanted to help take the pain away and he wanted the pain to stop.' Liam decided that was the most obvious cause. Realizing he was just standing there wasting water he finished his shower quickly.
He emerged to find a cup of coffee sitting there waiting for him. "That was strange I could feel your mood shifting; What were you thinking about?" Joshua said where he was standing near the counter dropping more sugar into the extremely strong coffee.
Liam smiled "I figured out what caused this weird bond between us." He watched slightly amused as Joshua nearly dropped the coffee cup. "Joyce said the Kimera form bonds between friends."
"How could that happen sure your part Kimera but you told me I was a different type of hybrid?" Joshua asked confused wondering what other surprises he would have to face as a result of what Zo'or had done to him.
"But your still closer to me than anyone else according to Joyce." Liam saw his confused look. "You have Taelon and Jaridian DNA they are the Child Races of the Kimera." Seeing his companions confused look. "They came about cause of the Kimera's interference in the development of their protospecies the Atavus." Liam watched as Joshua digested this.
"Anyway last night when you had the nightmare remembering what they did to you." He paused until Joshua nodded for him to continue. "Well you wanted someone to help ease the pain and I wanted to." He smiled "I guess my Kimera side decided you were close enough and caused a link."
Joshua was about to comment when there was a knock at the door. Liam wasn't surprised to find Renee who quickly handed Joshua some of the clothes he had bought. Renee watched Joshua excuse himself to take a shower and get cleaned up before turning to Liam.
"Are you sure this isn't a trick of Zo'or's." She asked. She noticed Liam's look of confusion. "Liam Zo'or isn't above using people and we know the Taelons can brainwash people."
"He's not Joyce wouldn't have helped him if he was working for Zo'or." Liam said calmly he knew Joshua was no threat but he didn't exactly want to explain about the link to Renee he wasn't sure she would understand it.
"She's not human and she restored the Taelon's core energy to them that's two strikes against her in my book." Renee said darkly. She and the ANA had been hoping the Taelons would have to leave after the loss of the core energy.
Liam frowned at her. "Renee I'm not human is there a strike against me too." He looked away his head downcast.
Renee cursed internally she had forgotten and she hated hurting Liam his innocence was still amazing to her given how many directions he was pulled in. "No Liam there isn't." She realized he was convinced it really was Joshua Doors in the other room. 'I'll have to make sure he doesn't get hurt again.' She thought.
"Renee I felt the pain from what they did to him he's not our enemy." Liam said. "A side effect of being not totally human myself." He said and turned toward her. "Trust me Renee Joshua isn't a threat.
Renee didn't know what to say. "You felt his pain?" She asked and at his nod asked. "When?"
Liam sighed "Last night he had a nightmare and woke up remembering what they did to him." He shuddered visibly. "I felt some of that pain it was enough to knock me out that's why I didn't answer the global this morning I was unconscious." Liam chucked. "I recovered shortly before he did." He noticed that Renee seemed to be accepting this and relaxed.
Joshua Doors was extremely glad whatever was going on in the other room had stopped. He was curious as to what could have happened to cause Liam to feel so hurt but at the same time he was annoyed by this new link between them. 'It's hard enough dealing with my own problems.' He quickly changed that train of thought he didn't want to have a breakdown now. 'I'll just wait till I'm alone and don't have to worry about my glow in the dark hands giving me away to anyone.' Joshua told himself firmly ever since he was younger he'd always done his best not to show weakness in front of anyone. 'After all Jonathan Door's son doesn't cry in public.'
Liam and Renee turned as Joshua rejoined them dressed in jeans and a plain button-down white shirt. "Lets go." He said as he headed toward the door. Liam reached out and a hand and stopped him. As Renee headed past him and out the door to check for observers. Liam asked how he was doing. "I'm fine."
Liam knew Joshua was lying but decided not to push it. Renee stuck her head back in and informed him that they coast was clear. Liam was thankful that the trip to Dr. Belman's was uneventful.
"I've been expecting you." Dr. Belman said as she greeted them. "My Daughter filled me in that you would be coming today." She quickly shooed Liam out to watch in case anyone approached the lab she had reserved for a private experiment but didn't want to take chances on someone walking in on them.
Dr. Belman glanced at Joshua. "I'm surprised Liam brought you to me instead of taking you to Dr. Park." Joshua seemed shocked at that statement. "Dr. Park has been Liam's Doctor since he was born a few years ago."
Joshua stared at her in shock. "What do you mean a few years ago?" He was staring at Dr. Belman like she'd gone crazy.
"Didn't he tell you Liam is only a few years old." She watched his mouth fall open. She admitted to herself when she learned of the hybrid child from Jonathan she had been shocked as well when she finally met him at how mature he was.
"He's only a child." Joshua said in shock at that thought. "I mean he knows so much and he's only a child."
Dr. Belman laughed. "Liam is no child he knows everything all three of his parents knew and he is physically an adult." She noticed his odd look. "By human standards he may be a child but like the Taelons he was born full grown with memories of all three of his parents."
Joshua sat in shock threw the rest of the examinations the Dr. ran him threw. "Your fine as far as I can tell it appears your in no danger from the changes made to your DNA." Dr. Belman made sure she could see his face before finishing. "I don't think the process is reversible whoever did this did to good a job." She was surprised when he didn't seem as put off as she would have thought by that.
On the drive back to Auger's liar in Renee's Car Liam couldn't help but feel Joshua's curiosity threw the link. Liam glanced at Joshua out of the corner of his eye and saw him watching him. "She told you how old I am didn't she?" Liam asked knowing that had to be it.
"Yes this is the first time I've seen someone so young drive." Joshua joked but then felt slightly guilty when he felt Liam's wave of annoyance and hurt.
"Everyone who finds out treats me like a child." Liam sighed and noticing the questioning look. "No I'm not a child." Liam smiled "I have the combined knowledge of all three of my parents even if I can't access one of them yet." Liam laughed "Which is probably a good thing?"
Joshua glanced at Liam. "What do you mean?" He asked looking at the other man wondering which of his three parents he couldn't remember. 'And that's another question who are the other two?' He thought curious as to whose memories the other man possessed.
"Ha'Gel possesed the memories of everyone he's ever replaced and like all Kimera he'd traveled threw out the universe on a quest to learn." Liam smiled "Joyce touched that knowledge once and told me I'd be able to access it when I needed it."
Joshua nodded realizing exactly how much knowledge must be there. "I hope you don't mind me asking but who were your other parents?" Joshua noticed the flash of fear threw the link. "It's someone I know trust me I won't judge you by their actions."
Liam nodded and decided to trust the other man though he wasn't sure why. "Okay Sandoval was the last male Ha'Gel replaced and my mother was Soibhan Becket" Liam glanced over at Joshua. "If it makes any difference Sandoval was a good man before the Taelons came."
Joshua could feel the fear. "I won't judge you based on who your father was." He felt relief from Liam. "Do you think this link will fade?" He asked unsure rather he wanted it to or not it felt good in a way to know someone so well but at the same time it scared him.
"I'm not sure if not we can probably learn to block it when we need to." Liam smiled at him reassuringly. "I'm sure we can get it to the point where I won't experience your dates."
Joshua laughed "What about you I mean I don't want to wake up from a dream to find you entertaining someone you picked up in that bar underneath your loft."
"Well technically it's still Auger's loft and I'm to busy to have much a social life." Liam said still laughing. "I mean between being a companion protector helping merge what's left of the resistance into the ANA and keeping either side from learning the whole truth about me I'm lucky to have time to sleep."
Street turned from the console where she was working and glanced over at Renee to make sure she wasn't hearing things. She wasn't as the lift doors opened and Liam and Joshua entered still laughing. Renee was the first to ask. "What's so funny?"
Liam managed to wheeze out. "Nothing." Between laughs which were steadily getting worse as the looks on their faces got to him. 'Well we found one downside to the link if we are both feeling the same thing it tends to magnify things.' That realization helped him to finally calm down. Liam suddenly knew how to block it as something he thought it was one of Ha'Gel's memories flitted briefly threw his mind.
Joshua stopped laughing and glanced over and Liam. "You blocked it." He blurted out and then turned to see the startled looks Renee and Street were giving him. "Long story We will tell you later."
Renee had her suspicious as she noticed Liam nodding at Joshua slightly. 'Could this have something to do with what he said earlier about feeling Joshua's pain.' Renee decided to think about it later and just focus on getting this all set up.
On the mothership Va'on watched Zo'or warily he knew Zo'or had decided to place the blame for the damage to his lab on a failed experiment. "Your a fool." he said to himself knowing his experiment was stable and that thinks to Da'an he had the means to correct it next time.
To Be Continued..
Next time: Da'an notices a change in Liam. Joshua begins to feel the effects of all that's happened to him. Augur returns.
Notes:
1. I know some folks are screaming where's the slash but I set out to make this fit with the show or at least up until Second Wave. So I have to make things work in the context of this story. But it will happen I'm fairly sure the couple is obvious by now. And yes I admit that's crazy.
2. Street and Renee really didn't have that big of a role in this chapter but they will play bigger parts in future chapters.
3. Sandoval will appear eventually as well Zo'or in more than just a guest appearance roll.
4. That's my explanation for the Knowledge of the Universe they kept referencing. Ha'Gel remembered every being he'd ever replaced and thusly so would Liam. And since I said that's how they studdied a race he would know allot.
